


Katie Bell, Harry Potter and the Guild

by CryptidGrimnoir137



Category: Dresden Files, Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dresden Files Fusion, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Crack, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:34:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25193239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CryptidGrimnoir137/pseuds/CryptidGrimnoir137
Summary: Harry Potter discovers that Katie Bell is part of a secret society called the Guild, whose purpose is to fight strange sources of dark magic the likes of which he has never seen before.Crack!fic
Relationships: Katie Bell & Angelina Johnson & Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell & Harry Potter, Katie Bell & Ron Weasley, Katie Bell and Fred Weasley, Katie Bell/Harry Potter
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	1. Parts 1-III, Summer

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: So this is inspired by a Reddit thread from a few months back. It was wild and outlandish but people seemed to really like it, so I figured I would touch it up and post it here. 
> 
> I do not own Harry Potter. It is the property of J.K. Rowling. 
> 
> I do not own The Dresden Files. It is the property of Jim Butcher.
> 
> This is a creative project that I do not profit off of in any way. This is also something of a crack!fic, so keep that in mind, my friends. 

**Katie Bell, Harry Potter and the Guild**

**Part I**

"And as the moon rises high, and the night is long, so we shall see the glory of our—"

_Zzznnnzznnniiinnn_

Katheryn "Katie" Bell paused in the middle of her recitation of the vows. That dull humming, ringing in her ears…The defensive charms along the perimeter of their safe house had been breached. 

Not for the first time, Katie wondered at the practicality of having the Guild’s safe house in the middle of Little Whinging, but that was a conversation she knew better to bring up. The last time she had questioned the decisions of the superior, they had taken away her mouth for two nights. 

It was a most unpleasant sensation, not having a mouth. Not being able to eat or drink or speak. And it was surprisingly itchy. 

Katie crept quietly from the basement, to the front door. It was late in the evening, but the late summer sky still gave plenty of light to see by. It had only been a minute or two. The intruder could not be far. 

Given that it was the summer holidays, she was forbidden from using her wand magic, by order of the Ministry of Magic, as well as the decrees of the Guild’s elders. She'd have to rely on more mundane tactics. Katie slipped out of the safe house soundlessly. Or as soundlessly as she could—it had been very sunny the last few days and the lack of rain had started to brown up the grass. It cracked slightly beneath her bare soles. 

It was one of the rules of the Guild to not wear shoes. Katie actually liked this rule. She felt more connected to her magic. A hundred feet away, she saw the stranger.

The stranger was a boy, not quite a man but still older than a mere child. Katie crept closer--the stranger did not seem to notice. That would make things easier--Katie was not what one would call "strong," at least in the context of Muggle dueling. But if she struck fast, that would not be an issue.

Another step, one bare foot in front of another. The strange boy paused and Katie froze, willing with all her might that the boy not notice her presence. 

She hadn’t needed to worry. The boy continued on, aimlessly. There was great tension in his shoulders. She crept closer and closer. Only three feet away now. That was close enough.

Katie knew better than to shout when she attacked someone--that was a classic mistake that compromised more than one promising initiate. She did not intend to kill this boy, merely figure out how he had managed to cross the barricade. Capture, but not kill. 

Like a whirlwind, she struck. 

Luck was not on her side however. Katie was skilled, but the strange adolescent boy reacted with lightning fast reflexes. She attempted to punch between his shoulders, but he side-stepped her and grabbed her arm, twisting it back. Clearly, he was experienced in fighting for his life. He was taller than her, and Katie found herself standing uncomfortably on the tips of her bare toes. 

Yow! That was her Quaffle arm he was yanking! 

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?"

"You're trespassing on the property of the Guild!" Katie declared. "Unhand me at once, and you'll escape with your life, boy!"

"What the hell is the Guild?"

"That is nothing of your concern, trespasser!" Katie squirmed helplessly but the strange boy pushed her to the ground. 

"Who's trespassing? I live here! You attacked me!” 

See! This is exactly the sort of thing Katie had tried to warn her superiors about! But no--the Guild’s rituals had to take place in the most boring town in all of Britain!

What she lacked in strength, Katie could make up for in remorsefulness and quick-thinking. She had to act quickly before this stranger took her to be his prisoner. Katie bucked her head backwards, grinning in satisfaction when she heard the *crack* of the boy's nose breaking. 

"Dammit! My glasses! My nose!"

The boy said several other words, but they were far too inappropriate to be spoken on hallowed ground. Katie rolled onto her back, only for the boy to pin her arms down. This was a position of great vulnerability, so she had to act now. 

"By the fire of the comet, by the shine of the stars--" Katie began, glaring at the boy's green eyes.

Wait a moment, green eyes? Like emeralds? 

"Harry?!"

"Katie?!"

Oh, bollocks.

**Part II**

Katie was more than a little frantic as she dragged Harry back inside the safe house and down the hall to the room she had been studying her vows in. She closed the door behind her and let go a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Katie, what in the blazes are you doing here?"

"Harry, please," Katie bit her lip. "This is kind of a big thing, but you can't tell anyone. This is even bigger than Voldemort!"

"You said his name?" Harry blinked in surprise. "I don't think I've ever heard you say his name."

"When have we ever talked about anything other than Quidditch?" Katie asked. “Harry, you don’t really talk to anyone other than Ron and Hermione.”

"Fair point...but I didn't know you lived in Little Whinging!" Harry sounded excited. "It's brilliant, really, having someone from the team here. I've gotten awfully bored. It’s not the same being away from school.”

"Oh, Harry," Katie shook her head. She could see his point, she really could. But friendship had to take a back seat for the Guild. Once you knew about it, you either had to join the Guild or take an Unbreakable Vow never to speak of the Guild--most of those who found out about their operations opted for the latter, once the Guild had started using Memory Charms. 

"Mind telling me what's going on?" Harry asked. "What's with the green cloak, it's summer. You must be roasting. And who else lives here? Wood? Alicia? And why did you attack me? Oh, I'm sorry if I hurt your arm--that's your Quaffle arm! Oh, and can you get your mum to fix my glasses?" 

For the Good of the Guild, Katie had forgotten that Harry never shut up once he started asking questions. The answers, not that she was sure she’d given them, were that the green cloak was the traditional color for initial graduates for the Guild. Nobody else on the Quidditch team, or anyone else at Hogwarts, was part of the Guild, as far as Katie knew. She attacked him for trespassing. Oh, and her mother was rubbish at household charms, so she wouldn’t be able to fix Harry’s glasses. 

"Harry!"

"And do you have your hair done up like that? And why aren't you wearing shoes?"

Harry asked _way_ too many questions. 

"Quiet!" Katie covered Harry's mouth with her hand. "Harry, if you're discovered, then I'm going to be in so much trouble!"

"Like how?" Harry asked, this time much more quietly. "If you're in danger, then we should both get out of here."

"I can't abandon the Guild!" Katie protested. “I’m supposed to be attending the meeting in ten minutes, and I’d get in huge trouble.” 

"What would they do to you?" 

Now there was a good question--there were various punishments for various infractions, and they tended to be thematically similar. For example, after committing the crime of insubordination, speaking out of turn and questioning her superiors, Katie's mouth had been charmed off for two days. For an infraction like this, letting a stranger into the chambers and thereby revealing secret information, Katie would most likely be subjected to interrogation to determine how much information she had allowed to be compromised. 

Katie felt her knees knock together. Being at the mercy of Interrogators was one of the worst fates she could think of. No matter how one begged, no matter how one pleaded, they knew how to break down every defense and they showed no compassion or yielding. 

"Harry, we need to get you out of here. Do you have your Invisibility Cloak?"

"You know about the Cloak?" Harry blinked in surprise. Or maybe because without his glasses he was blind as a bat. 

"Well, how else would you be able to sneak out all the time?" Katie groaned. “Harry, everyone in Gryffindor knows about the Cloak.”

"I don't have it with me," Harry said. "But Katie, I can't leave you to get hurt."

"You always did have a Saving People Thing, didn't you?" Katie couldn't keep the fondness from her voice. Harry had long proven himself to be courageous and possessing great fortitude. ”Okay...I have another idea."

She darted to the wardrobe and produced her old cloak, Apprentice Brown, compared to her Graduate Green. 

"It's gonna be a little small on you, but I think we can make this work!"

"Make what work?" Harry asked, though he put the cloak over his t-shirt and jeans without complaint.

"Trust me," Katie whispered. "They'll be calling me in soon. Don't make a sound. You'll be my Initiate.”

“Initiate?”

“You’re gonna be in the Guild,” Katie lowered her voice to a whisper. “For an hour, at least. You can do that right?”

“Sure.”

“Brilliant,” Katie said. “Alright, just do as I say. Now take off your shoes.”

“What?! Why?!”

Oh, double bollocks. 

**Part III**

Getting Harry to wear her old Apprentice Robe had been easy. Getting him to take his shoes off was hard. Katie hadn't expected that.

"None of the Guild wears shoes during rituals!" Katie hissed. "Bare feet allow us to contact further with the Ley lines."

"The *what*?!" 

"Just shut up and do what I say!" Katie begged. "Pretend I'm Hermione! She bosses you around!" 

"You're bossier than Hermione!" 

"We both know that's not humanly possible!"

"Alright, alright fine!" Harry toed off his old trainers and stepped awkwardly. "I still expect a full explanation!"

"I'll let you ask me as many questions as you like, about whatever you want, even questions that have nothing to do with the Guild if you just be quiet for a little while!"

It wasn't a perfect disguise by any means. Harry's borrowed robe just went past his knees, while Katie's robe, properly fitted for her, reached her ankles. And of course there was the scar to worry about, but the robe's hood covered that up well enough. 

Katie linked her arm with Harry and she marched him in tandem down the stairs to a hidden chamber in the hidden cellar of the safe house. A dozen other hooded figures were there already--Katie's relatives, all of them older than she. 

The cellar floor was earthen, and pleasantly cool compared to the dry, crinkly grass outside. Katie dug her toes into the earth. Its texture was the perfect softness. When she was little, she loved tracing pictures with her fingers and toes. She still liked the habit, actually. 

"My friends, my family," Chief Superior said. "Today we are gathered to rid the world of a great evil!"

“Hail, in the name of justice!"

Two hooded figures dragged a snarling man forward. The man swore in a language Katie was pretty sure was Russian. 

"You have committed seventeen murders, of this we know! And you have obtained the most dastardly of knowledge to further your crimes!" The Chief Superior declared. "You have stained this world completely."

"Raaah!"

"Swift as a river, force of a tempest, blazing fire and pale moonlight, we seek to know which fate is best!"

Green glowing light emerged from the Chief Superior's hand. The two hooded figures holding the prisoner began to glow pale blue.

"So it is said, so it is done! We banish you to the Outer Gates!"

The criminal screamed a terrible scream and then vanished. There wasn't even the tiniest trace of him left. Beside her, Katie could feel Harry stiffen. It was a hard thing, seeing a villain be banished to the Outer Gates. He’d never be able to return to this reality. 

"Peace my companions, for I see we have a newcomer. Katheryn, step forward."

Katie stepped forward and knelt before the Chief Superior. Harry took hasty steps forward and sat beside her. Ugh, sitting instead of kneeling? Harry…

"Katheryn, you have brought a newcomer?"

"I have, Honorable Chief Superior!" Katie declared. _Please work, please work, please work._ "I bring forth, Harry Potter!"

As she expected, there were excited murmurs from the other cloaked figures. Even in the Guild, the child who had survived the Killing Curse was the stuff of legends.

"You speak of his valor?"

"I know none braver! I tried to dissuade him, but he insisted on participation."

"He gained knowledge of us?"

Katie's stomach jumped into her throat. She would most certainly be sent to the Interrogators now. Her toes curled into fists in dread. She would be subjected to their most diabolical methods. 

"It wasn't Katie's fault!" Harry protested. "Please, don't hurt her. She's a very good friend!"

"You speak of her honor?"

"Yes! Anyone who knows her would do the same!" 

"And you, Katheryn, speak well of him?"

"I do!" Katie declared. She was doomed to the Interrogators anyway, but she would plead for Harry all the same. “He has survived the Killing Curse when he was just a baby. At eleven, he stared down a mountain troll to save the life of a classmate and defied Voldemort. At the age of twelve, he slew the mightiest of Serpents, a Queen Basilisk!" 

More murmurs from the various members of the Guild. This time, they seemed even more disbelieving. Katie could understand that. Harry’s adventures at school were like what you’d read in storybooks. 

"Is this true?"

"Wait, the Basilisk was a girl?” Harry asked. “Bloody hell."

"Such a coarse tongue you have brought to us, Katheryn!"

Katie hung her head. Subjection to the worst torture from the Interrogators would be mere child's play to what she was in for now. 

"That said," the Chief Superior said thoughtfully, "It has been long since we've had someone new join our ranks, much less someone so accomplished at such a young age. Rise, Initiate Potter."

They had accepted him?! This was wonderful!

"Katheryn, you shall be in charge of him. You shall instruct him in our ways. Any infraction that Initiate Potter commits, the punishment shall be inflicted on you ten-fold."

Oh, triple bollocks.

********


	2. The Journey to Hogwarts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Katie travel to Hogwarts for a new year of learning, and Katie begins to divulge what it is that the Guild does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I do not own Harry Potter. It is the property of J.K. Rowling. I also do not own The Dresden Files. That is the property of Jim Butcher.
> 
> This is a creative project that I do not profit off of in any way whatsoever.
> 
> Here we are, my dear, dear readers. The newest installment for Harry Potter and Katie Bell! Enjoy!
> 
> Part IV

**Chapter 2: The Journey to Hogwarts**

**Part IV**

Katie didn't see Harry again until they were to ride the Hogwarts Express together, for Hogwarts was their school. Harry had gone off to see the Quidditch World Cup with the Weasleys, and had stayed with the family the remainder of the summer. This was advantageous in some regards—it was definitely more difficult to discuss matters regarding the Guild in a Muggle community. And the Weasleys were good people—Fred and George were brilliant at Quidditch and had wicked senses of humor, and Ron was Harry’s best friend. But in other regards, it was a pity--Katie had no other peers close to her age in the Guild. Having someone to talk to, even about matters not concerning the Guild, would have been nice. 

This was going to be her fifth year, Harry's fourth. Fourth year had been a good year for Katie, but she wondered about Harry. He had always attracted trouble, like a moth to flame. Or a Gro-lao to the Guild's Moors. Or maybe it was trouble that sought Harry out.

Her parents were with her at the platform. Mummy and Papa. Most of her peers called their parents “Mum and Dad” or perhaps “Mother and Father.” But to her, they would always be Mummy and Papa. Katie hugged them good-bye and kissed them both. Her father, Papa, ruffled her hair and pressed his lips to his forehead.

"My little Katie, do take care of the Initiate. He's going to need your guidance."

"Yes, Papa!” Katie leaned into her father’s embrace. His arms were strong, powerful enough to hold his own against a shoggoth in single combat. But they were also gentle. 

"And be sure to write us, and study hard for your O.W.L.s," Katie's mother patted her cheek. 

The bonds of family were sacred to the Guild. Perhaps that was why Katie didn't mind affection that most her age would resist.

Or maybe she was just a Daddy's Girl (And so what if she was? Her Papa was awesome!)

Katie tugged at the collar of her Hogwarts robes--she far preferred the ones she wore in the Guild, but she had to conform to the dress code—and climbed aboard the train. She had to find Harry. Easier said than done, in this crowd.

Harry was, predictably, sitting with his two favorite people in Hogwarts, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. Oh, and Hermione's cat Crookshanks, a valuable ally for the Guild. 

"Hi..." Katie felt herself blush. Why was she blushing? It was just Harry. And it wasn't like Ron or Hermione were strangers either. She knew them...sort of. They weren’t in her year, so they weren’t exactly friends. "Can I sit with you guys?"

"Er, sure," Ron nodded. "Wait, my brothers didn't feed you anything did they?”

As a member of the Guild, Katie was careful to never eat anything that she didn’t know where it came from. And Fred and George were something of pranksters, to be sure. She knew their methods with candy.

"No, no...I just wanted to sit with Harry. And you guys too...If that's okay?"

Hermione didn't look up from her book, but when Katie sat down next to Harry, she was sure Hermione flashed them a smile. It was an odd sort of smile. Hermione was fiercely intelligent and it almost looked as if she were learning something new. Something she hadn’t expected, but approved of.

Harry pulled a large book from his bag and held it up. He had pinned a note to the inside.

_Is this to do with the Guild?_

Katie gave the tiniest of nods. It wouldn't do to let Hermione and Ron in on the secrets of the Guild. She'd barely escaped the Interrogators with Harry--letting in anyone else, without permission, would surely result in prolonged punishment. She felt a shiver travel from her spine all the way down to her toes.

Harry met her eyes--his bright green eyes to her blue--and turned the page. There was another note pinned to the pages of his book.

_We meet at the statue of One-Eyed Witch. I want answers._

Quadruple bollocks. 

**Part V**

There had been a soaking rain all through the train ride to Hogwarts. Katie knew the importance of rain. It provided water for crops and the forests. It sustained life itself. And there were rituals in the Guild that needed rain water to work—which was weird, because there were other rituals which were spoiled by running water and couldn’t be done in the rain.

As it was, the moment Katie stepped out of the train carriage, she found herself in a deep puddle. Blech! The muggy rain water soaked all the way through her shoes and into her socks. 

Bollocks!

“Ugh…” Katie said. “Watch out for the—“

“Blimey, I hate the rain,” Ron muttered. Behind him, Harry looked similarly disgruntled. Hermione was fussing over her cat, Crookshanks, who looked very, very, very grumpy at the rain.

Crookshanks…he was part Kneazle, wasn’t he? He may prove to be an ally for the Guild. 

Katie walked up to one of the thestral-drawn carriages and lifted her trunk into it. She stole a glance at the thestrals. The skeletal-thin, black, winged horses that could only be seen by those who had seen death. She wasn’t sure whether or not Harry would be able to see them—the warlock who had been banished to the Outer Gates was technically still alive. Or at least he had been. 

The ride to Hogwarts was considerably quieter than the train ride, but that likely had to do with the fact they were all wet and miserable. Katie wasn’t sure if it was a solace in that it was September and thus too warm and muggy to be cold. 

But they would be at Hogwarts soon. With its delicious meals and soft beds and wondrous atmosphere. Hogwarts was the most magical location in all of Britain. And Katie would have the chance to talk to Harry about the Guild. 

The second she got into the entryway, Katie was hit in the face with a water balloon, courtesy of Peeves the Poltergeist.

“Haaa-hurr!”

Quintuple bollocks. 

**Part VI** ****

Katie stepped from one foot to the other, as she waited for Harry to show up at the statue of the One-Eyed Witch. A promise was a promise and Harry had earned his right to have answers. There was so much to process tonight—Headmaster Dumbledore had announced the Triwizard Tournament would once again be taking place. Such a thing had not happened in the last twelve cycles of the Guild’s leadership. Katie wasn’t sure whether to be excited or terrified. 

Harry showed up a moment later, with his wand and a piece of parchment in hand. It was a very old piece of parchment. That was most curious. 

"Alright, quickly, through here," Harry said. He tapped the statue, muttered a password Katie couldn't catch, and pulled her through to a passageway. Katie blinked in surprise but quickly shook her head to cover it up. She hadn't known there was a passageway here. 

"Thank you, Initiate Potter," Katie said formally. "It is good that we will not be overheard."

"Katie, start talking normal," Harry said. "Or I'll jinx you and leave you here.”

Given that they were at Hogwarts, and thus, allowed to use their wands, Katie was fairly certain she wouldn’t lose a duel with Harry. He was skilled in defensive magic, to be sure, but she had years of training with the Guild. 

"Alright, alright. Look, the thing of it is," Katie sat on the floor and patted the spot beside her. As Harry sat down, she continued. "My family, going back seventeen generations is part of the Guild. We are loyal to the Venatori." 

"The what?"

"The Venatori exists to hunt down and destroy the relics of ancient evil creatures," Katie explained. "We assist them by banishing those who try to control these creatures. But it's absolutely, positively, top secret. You cannot tell anyone about us, not even Ron and Hermione."

"And you drafted me into this?!"

"You were spying," Katie put her hands on her hips. "It's not my fault the safe house happened to be in your neighborhood."

"I was there first! Who keeps a safe house for some secret society in a Muggle neighborhood?"

"That's what I said," Katie shook her head, "Before they took away my mouth privileges for two days. Harry, I know you argue with...pretty much every authority figure ever, but you need to respect the superiors' decisions on this. Otherwise, you're doomed, and I'm double doomed, because you're under my charge."

"What happens to you if I mess up?"

Katie shuddered at the thought. The Interrogators had various methods of punishments, each more unpleasant than the last. 

"You're not gonna mess up," Katie said. "I'm going to help you. We're in this together, for the Guild! I will stand by you, Initiate!"

"Katie, I asked you to stop talking funny."

Sextuple bollocks to that, she did not talk funny!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Another chapter completed, my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you’re so inclined. 
> 
> I hope you’re having fun! I sure am! 
> 
> I appreciate each and every one of you!


	3. Lessons Begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katie and Harry continue their training for the Guild as they begin a new year at Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I do not own Harry Potter. It is the property of J.K. Rowling. I also do not own The Dresden Files. That is the property of Jim Butcher.
> 
> This is a creative project that I do not profit off of in any way whatsoever.
> 
> Here we are, my dear, dear readers. The newest installment for Harry Potter and Katie Bell! Enjoy!

**Chapter Three: Lessons Begin**

**Part VII**

“Constant vigilance!” 

Such a creed was very noble. But there was something off about Mad-Eye Moody. Katie couldn't figure out what it was. But years of training and instruction from the Guild had given Katie a keenly developed sense of intuition. She knew when people were hiding things. But what was Professor Moody hiding?

“You need to be prepared!” Professor Moody boomed. “When you’re fighting the Dark Arts, you need to be ready! You need to know what you’re up against!”

Katie was well aware of the horrors that Dark Magic allowed. She had seen the bodies of victims, ones she had been too late to save. She had seen twisted experiments done by necromancers. 

Death was a part of life. This was one of the first lessons of the Guild. But life itself was sacred. It was why the Guild took their oaths so seriously. Occasionally, they killed. Criminals or warlocks who sought to destroy and oppress. But they also fought for life.

There were three large spiders in a big glass jar. Katie frowned. She liked spiders. They were very useful, catching flies and mosquitos and wasps. And really, the web of a spider was something miraculous. Something beautiful, a piece of art, and yet, nobody taught a spider how to spin its web.

Though she had to admit, she possessed a very healthy fear of Acromantula. 

“You need to know what these curses can do!” Professor Moody shouted. “ _Crucio!”_

The spider in Professor Moody’s hand began to twitch violently. As if it were screaming. Katie began to shake in her seat. This was wrong. She knew what pain was. There were training exercises for the Guild that stressed her body to its limits. Injuries were not uncommon—she had broken her leg just the year before. But that had been an accident.

To deliberately inflict pain on a sapient creature…this was awful. This was wrong. She needed to speak to Harry as soon as she could. 

Katie felt an urge to draw her wand and challenge Professor Moody. But it would not do well to challenge a professor. It would only draw attention. And she had to set a good example for Harry.

“ _Imperio_!” 

Even worse than pain was stealing control. That was something the Guild fought. There were horrible magics that ensnared the mind and the senses. Turned human beings, Muggle or Magic, into puppets for the biddings of the warlocks…

_“Avada Kedavra!”_

The flash of green light…the spider falling as its life of snuffed out…Cormac McLaggen screaming like a little girl. 

Septuple bollocks…Katie wanted her parents. 

**Part VIII**

There was something definitely suspicious about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, but Katie had bigger things to worry about than a trigger-happy ex-Auror. Teaching Harry the ways of the Guild were her priority for the moment. Though Professor Moody’s mannerisms were an excellent example in how not to act.

For the last week, they had met in the Common Room, under the excuse that she was helping him study. That actually was true--Harry needed a few pointers in Transfiguration and Astronomy. Potions was a lost cause, but that was beyond Katie's ability to assist in. Severus Snape was one of the meanest people she'd ever met. 

But in between homework, and in Katie's case, outlining for her O.W.L.s, she was able to pass on information about the Guild. Usually tiny notes handed to one another as they studied face-to-face. 

It was as discrete as could be, but despite this, it still seemed to attract attention. Hermione and Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet--Harry's best friend and Katie's fellow Chasers--seemed almost suspicious. But that wasn't quite the right word to use. They seemed to know something, but they hadn't said anything yet.

Katie couldn't help but feel a bit of dread. She liked working with Harry, but she also didn't want word getting out. One night, she had had nightmares that the Guild had been revealed and that she, Katie, had been captured by the Interrogators. That they had taken away her wand and subjected her to all sorts of horrible tortures so she would divulge every secret she knew. 

Perhaps they should find a better place to study...

***

The next in-depth explanation of what the Guild was, and the monsters they fought took place on Saturday. Katie had been prepared to use her "puppy eyes" to coax Harry into having the lesson outside, away from wandering eyes and peering ears. She needn't have bothered. Harry had needed no persuasion to get out onto the grounds of Hogwarts. 

They walked down to the Lake. Katie glanced over her shoulder. So far as she could see, they were alone. Good.

"So, in the Guild," Katie explained, "there are certain rules that must be followed at all times."

"Like the robes?" Harry said. "You have to wear the robes during the ritual?"

"Yes," Katie said. "The robes are woven with special fibers from...someplace else. They provide protection from the insidious effects of the Outer Gates." 

"Right...and that's where the monsters live?"

"Anything that does not belong is this reality," Katie nodded. “And it’s where we banish those who break our laws.”

"And not wearing shoes is another rule?"

"You're such a city boy!" Katie rolled her eyes. "Merlin didn't wear shoes, so neither do we. I find that my best spell-casting is done when I'm barefoot. I'm connected to ley lines that shoes block out, that way."

Harry looked at her skeptically, and Katie sighed. He could be a bit pig-headed at times, but she'd been the same way when she first started. Best to give a demonstration. 

"Watch closely," Katie said, pulling out her wand. She pointed it out towards the lake.

*"Aquamenti!"*

A thin jet of water shot out of her wand and then fell into the Lake. Not bad, but not overly impressive either. Professor Flitwick would have been impressed, but he was a gentle soul who was quick to praise anyone for honest effort. 

Katie knelt down and pulled off her shoes and socks. She dug her bare feet into the soft grass and focused on the magical energy present in Hogwarts' very core. She wiggled her toes and bit back a laugh--she could have sworn the grass was tickling her soles. She’d always been ticklish.

*"Aquamenti!"*

A wave of water erupted from her wand, far longer and wider than the previous jet. It soared through the air and twisted itself, as if it were dancing, before it dove into the Lake and then leapt out again in a figure-eight pattern. 

"See my point, Initiate? The superiors' rules are usually there for a reason."

“Uh..." Harry said. “That…how did you do that?”

Octuple bollocks, clearly, they had a long way to go.

**Part IX**

Katie was being watched. She was sure of it. Somehow, enemies of the Guild had discovered her. This was not good news. The Guild served the Venatori and sought to destroy ancient evils. But in order to destroy ancient evils, there had to be ancient evils to destroy in the first place. And that meant practitioners of these evil. 

Voldemort was a schoolboy with daddy issues compared to some of these groups. Katie still had occasional nightmares of the monsters her father had told her about--Kemmler and his undead army and how he sought to bring absolute destruction to reality itself.

She had to be especially careful with teaching Harry now. She had elected to give him new instructions at a new location at Hogwarts every time they met.

Katie was on her way to the Quidditch Pitch. It was her favorite place in Hogwarts and she was pretty sure it was Harry's favorite place as well. 

Harry met her at the Entrance Hall and together, they walked out towards the Pitch. 

"So, Harry," Katie said in a particularly loud voice, "Tell me, how is your fourth year going?"

"It is fine!" Harry said in an equally loud voice. "I am learning a lot!"

"That is good! I am sure you will be able to be Hermione on every exam this term!"

No response. Huh. Clearly, Hermione was not one of the people following them, because she'd have certainly protested otherwise. 

Katie brushed her hair behind her head and linked arms with Harry. They took an extra long path to get to the Quidditch Pitch, but Katie didn't mind. She liked being with Harry.

Nonuple bollocks. 

****

"So what happens when the Guild catches someone?" Harry asked. 

He and Katie were lying on their backs, watching the clouds go by. They were trying to be as still as possible. Katie said it was good training for the Guild, to learn how to watch even the smallest changes in an environment, while making sure you weren't affecting the environment yourself. 

"We destroy the relics they may be using. Make them collect all the offending documents, so they can be destroyed. Offer to recruit them, if they're remorseful. And if not…we have to banish them…”

"That's what happened over the summer?"

"Yes, the warlock had been harnessing the power of an Old One to commit murders. Fifteen Muggles and two wizards. There wasn't really any other way to deal with that one."

"It's kind of sad," Harry said. 

"It's hard...but it's necessary. Harry, if you knew what that man had done to his victims..."

Harry stared at Katie. They'd been spending so much time together, he had begun to notice things about her he never had before. Katie wrinkled her nose whenever she admitted something she didn't like to think about. She played with her hair whenever she was concentrating very hard. And whenever she wanted to calm down, she made fists with her toes--she said she got that idea from a Muggle movie, but it was still a helpful part of training.

Quidditch had been canceled this year, in favor of the Triwizard Tournament. That had allowed them to come to the Pitch undisturbed. It was strange though. Harry wondered whether he and Katie would have spent this much time together had Quidditch not been canceled. They were teammates after all. And now they were part of a Guild...but, were they becoming friends?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Another chapter completed my dear, dear readers! I hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> Leave a comment if you’re so inclined. I appreciate each and every one of you!

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Here we are, my dear, dear readers. This is the first three parts of “Katie Bell, Harry Potter and the Guild.” I enjoyed writing it very much, and I plan to come back to it. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, my dear, dear readers. Leave a comment if you’re so inclined. I appreciate each and every one of you.


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